TJ DREYER

R.H. crew we had a talk about God’s sovereignty and prayer last week. Dealing with how or even why do we pray if God is in fact sovereign. Digging into scriptures pointing directly toward God being in charge and behind everything that happens. Some of the scriptures were maybe hard to take with societies perception of God, for instance Jude 1:4 which talked of some people are designated for destruction (this shows God’s sovereign nature over all events). We also dealt with scriptures about prayer like James 4:2, that show even though God is sovereign (or in control) our prayers can still change things.

We were challenged to pray believing God is our good father that wants to in fact give us good gifts, but some times his ways are higher and our desires don’t match up with his ultimate plan which is best for us.

This week I’d like to focus on if prayer really can change things, what effect does FAITH have on those prayers?

Key texts for this would be as follows: Mark 11: 20-26 and Mark 6: 1-6

Key question: Does the faith discussed in Mark about prayer mean when praying you need to have faith God “could do it” or faith when praying that God “will do it” in context to your prayer?

Further I’d like to discuss in detail if faith is a key factor in prayers being answered how do we balance having faith and knowing that God’s perfect will could over-ride your request. Or if faith is a key factor how do we have that faith that God will do what we are asking, but yet know he might not because it might not be what’s best for us?

I’d like everyone to take some notes on their thoughts in this, and maybe write down some experiences you’ve dealt with before that could tie into this topic. If you can more scriptures that tie into this topic would be great.

I’m excited to talk more about prayer and let the Lord sharpen us together. For more info about Missional Community Group nights at Redemption’s Hill check out our website.

It’s about 12:42 am here on the 7th of August, that means it’s about 4:42 August 6th back at my home… Can you say my body is a little confused. The time change is weird but I’m actually coping fairly well. Hopefully I’ll get about 5-6 hours of sleep tonight, since I have had approximately 11 hours of sleep since August 3rd and that should set my up to really used to the new time. On a side not the time being 8 hours forward will mean on my trip at one point I’ll go from tomorrow, back to today…? I’ll be a time traveler.

The trip really just got started today since everything else had been travel. Our kids that we sponsor came to the hotel to meet us, so Austin Kiptoo and Isaac Wafula hung out with me for most of the day. With them we got to mess around at the hotel and then went into town to buy them some gifts. Both boys wanted a backpack, clothes and “sport shoes,” so that exactly what I got them. It was amazing to see the perspective change in these kids from children back in the states, they didn’t want toys or other random junk, and they also didn’t try and get me to buy them the whole store. They just wanted practical things that would help them out, and smiles were all around when the got them. You would have though you bought them a motorcycle with the way they glowed.

Another amazing event happened today, Brett and Jennifer Black some of my best friends in the world got to meet their son for the first time. The are adopting Benjamin a local orphan related to the pastor of Kimondo Village Academy (the place we support with our sponsorship). Upon first meeting Benjamin he wasn’t to eager to talk to them or any of us for that matter, he would only cry when they got close to him. Poor little man was pretty overwhelmed, but during the course of the day he was won over by an iPhone of all things (take that Apple haters… BURN). By showing him games and funny applications his barriers came down. By the end of the night a petrified little boy let Brett, Jennifer and finally me hold and snuggle him up, which was AWESOME.

Tomorrow we are going to be going to the Academy to meet all the kids that go there, I can’t wait to see them and get to see the place that we have feel in love with through these amazing children. If you aren’t familiar with Fishers of Men, check out their site here fomministry.com and search your heart if there is a way you would be willing to help. My promise to you is that if you do, and buy into changing a life, these kids will impact you in as big of way as you impact them. I am blessed that they and FOM are in my life.

Attached to this post are pics of random stuff so far, please interact with comment. I want your thoughts, questions, comment and anything else.

I thought I’d show a little action from packing, this bag is going to weigh a ton. But it’s better to have a sore back then risk it getting lost or stolen if I checked it. I think this should get the job done to be the eyes and ears for many who will be watching. On a side not please pray for safe travels for us, and if your wondering an ESV bible will be fit in there as well…

The Lion and The Lamb from TJ Dreyer on Vimeo.

A friend of mine found this video and inserted a post about a model for modern worship. I have to say I love this, I would worship to it for sure. Check it out, watch the whole thing, listen closely to the words and let me know do you think this is worship?

“The human heart is a factory of idols…Everyone of us is, from his mother’s womb, expert in inventing idols.” – John Calvin

I saw this add campaign by Jeep recently online, and it screamed out to me that we are broken. We are a fallen creation that has chosen to elevate the creation over the creator. As Calvin said we are indeed experts at making idols out of everything our hands touch.

At the fall in Genesis 3 we exchanged the truth for a lie… the lie that creation would bring us more satisfaction then God the creator. Today we are still falling for the same lie. The things we make will never make us. It may at first sound neat or catchy and when paired with cool photos even look appealing but even uttering the phrase of this add out loud shows how dumb the concept is… “THE THINGS WE MAKE… MAKE US.” If that is true what a sad creation we are.

Fear of the Lord from TJ Dreyer on Vimeo.

I used this excerpt from R.C. Sproul in my Fear of the Lord message recently, the way he describes our actions when not inline with the Father absolutely blew me away. Great wording that’s excellent to think on and brings clarity to sin and what it says through our actions.

God voluntarily created us. He gave us the highest privilege of being His image bearers… We are not turtles. We are not fireflies. We are not caterpillars or coyotes. We are people. We are the image bearers of the holy and majestic King of the cosmos.

We have not used the gift of life for the purpose God intended. Life on this planet has become the arena in which we daily carry out the work of cosmic treason… No traitor to any king or nation has even approached the wickedness of our treason before God…

When we sin as the image bearers of God, we are saying to the whole creation, to all of nature under our dominion, to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field: “This is how God is. This is how your Creator behaves. Look in the mirror; look at us, and you will see the character of the Almighty.” We say to the world, “God is covetous; God is ruthless; God is bitter; God is a murderer, a thief, a slanderer, and adulterer. God is all of these things that we are doing.”

– R.C. Sproul

I love messing with design stuff, and have for quite some time. Interesting designs intrigue me, and make me want to “reverse engineer” them so I can perform them. Here is a poster/desktop that I made wanting to try a design technique I saw. It was created in Photoshop CS5, if you click on the thumbnail it will open up into a full size image.

Psalms 13:
1 How long, O Lord? Will you w forget me forever?
How long will you x hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take y counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 z Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
a light up my eyes, lest b I sleep the sleep of death,
4 c lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am d shaken.

5 But I have e trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall f rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

My mind has been really consumed with the idea of the dark night of the soul, the time that you feel like God is so far away. The scriptures comfort me to know I am not the only one that feels the weight of this type of situation, especially since church people (for the most part) would never admit they feel this. The feeling that though you never doubt God exists, he seems a million miles away…

I’d say that is the way I feel this week, and the reasons why are what really get my mind turning. If God never changes, then it has to be me. As I search my habits I realize God never walked away for a break from me, I (through my actions) started walking away from him as if I could handle things for the week. I’m like a wondering child that should stay near his parents but thinks he can wonder off, then a little time goes by and I realized I got myself lost and have to get back. No moral failures, just the honesty of person that needs to rely on God without a break.